Siblings
by MakoStorm
Summary: When Gaara was kidnapped Kankurou thought over the few happy memories he had with his younger brother, wishing he could help him in some way. Set during manga chapters 270 to 281 and Shippuden episode 17. I know the summary sucks but please read it anyway


A/N: Spolier warning for manga chapters 270, 280, and 281 and also for shippuden episode 17. This is mainly a fic about Kankurou and Gaara but it also developed to show some of Gaara and Naruto's friendship as well. There are scenes from the afore mentioned chapters in here as well.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any other Naruto characters. And now without further ado, I give you my first Naruto fanfic.

Siblings

Kankurou rested his hands on the sill of his window and stared out over the village at the great rock wall that surrounded the Hidden Village of Sand. He clenched his fists as he spotted the rocks that still blocked the village gate. He only managed to save two out of the squad that had been accompanying him and he'd failed to retrieve Gaara; and he hated himself for it. Of course his opponent had been Sasori of the Red Sand but that was no excuse in his mind. He had a duty as a shinobi of the Sand to protect the Kazekage and he had a duty as a brother to protect his younger sibling.

He sighed; he couldn't do anything for Gaara until he had fully recovered from Sasori's poison then he and his older sister would take a squad and go after their brother and the squad from Konoha. He turned away from the window and eased himself onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling as memories of the few happy moments he had with Gaara during their childhood filled his head; before the failed assassination attempt that changed him.

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_Memories_

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Temari and Kankurou laughed as they wrestled in the sand, Temari pulling on the cat-like ears of his hood from her place perched on his back as he tried to roll her off of him. Kankurou growled and used all the strength in his six year old body to roll over and flip her off him so he could roll on top of her and pin her arms and legs to the sandy ground. He grinned down at her as she glared at him. "I win Onee-Chan!" She pouted and turned her head away. "Did not, I let you win Otouto-Chan!" He only laughed and let her up so they could find a new game to play. Temari pulled a pile of sand to her and wet it with some water she had brought with her then began making a sand castle.

Kankurou joined her, then something caught his eye. He looked left and saw Gaara sitting in the shadow of a building, knees drawn up to his chest and his small arms wrapped around them. He was watching them but quickly turned his eyes away when he saw Kankurou looking at him. Kankurou looked around and saw no one so he stood up. Temari looked up from the sand and stared at him in confusion then followed his gaze. She gasped softly and grabbed his sleeve when she realized what he was going to do. Their father the Kazekage forbad them from playing with their younger sibling unless someone was watching them. Kankurou ignored her however and defied his father's order, walking to Gaara. The four year old looked up as his older brother stopped in front of him. Gaara stared at him with lost, lonely eyes and for a moment Kankurou had trouble believing that Shukaku really resided within this vulnerable looking child.

He held his hand out and Gaara's eyes widened. "Want to come play with us Otouto-San?" He wasn't supposed to use nicknames either but he didn't care. Gaara was speechless for a moment then he nodded. "H-Hai Nii-San." He grasped his brother's hand and Kankurou pulled him up. "Come on then!" He shouted running back towards their sister. A smile broke out on Gaara's face and he ran after him laughing.

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"Faster Nii-San! Gaara cried happily from his brother's back as Kankurou ran through the non busy part of the village. A few people stared in surprise at seeing the Kazekage's eldest son carrying his younger brother, the monster.

"I can't go any faster." Kankurou replied. "Now hold on, we have to get there soon or Onee-Chan will be mad at us for keeping her waiting."

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Gaara cried into his knees, his tears soaking through the cloth. Sand swirled around him, reacting to his sorrow.

"Gaara-San?" Gaara jumped at his name. Kankurou watched him with slight worry but it turned to surprise and fright when the sand surrounding his younger brother shot towards him, acting on the boy's feelings. "Gaara! Stop Otouto-San!" The nickname brought Gaara to his senses and his head shot up, his eyes widening. The sand stopped its attack and fell to the ground. Kankurou slowed his breathing down and stared at his younger brother as fresh tears came to the small child's eyes. Kankurou walked over and knelt next to the red head. "What's wrong?"

Gaara sniffled and threw himself at his older brother, clutching onto his black outfit. "Nii-San, why won't anyone play with me? Why am I the only one who is a monster?" Tears fell from his black rimmed eyes and soaked into Kankurou's clothes. Kankurou placed a hand on his younger brother's head and stroked his hair comfortingly. "I don't know Otouto-Chan." He lied, knowing full well it was because of Shukaku. "But you know what?" Gaara looked up at him. "I bet when you get older you'll show them you aren't a monster, you're just you." Gaara's lips lifted and he nodded. "I will Nii-San, you watch. I'll show them all." Kankurou smiled. "I know it."

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_Present _

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The present Kankurou sighed, closing his eyes. Things had pretty much ended there. Their father had put a stop to it.

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_Memories_

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"Never again!" Kankurou flinched at his father's shout.

"But-!" He tried to protest.

"No! Never are you to play unsupervised again! It's dangerous!"

"But Otouto-Chan never-!" He clamped his lips shut as his father's rage tripled at the affectionate nickname for Gaara. "Never again Kankurou." He said lowly and dangerously. "I've already lost your mother to it, I will not lose my son as well."

"But Gaara-San is your son too!"

"That is not my son! Now get out of my sight!" Kankurou started to protest, "Out!" but was gone in a flash.

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_Present_

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Kankurou wished he'd stood up to his father about Gaara that day, but he'd only been like seven at the time. A week later the failed assassination attempt took place by their own uncle and the younger brother Gaara disappeared. In his place was an emotionless shell who had no problem taking the lives of his siblings if they got in his way.

But after Gaara's fight with Uzumaki Naruto, Kankurou saw a small part of his little brother return. That Gaara was the one who worked hard so people would accept his existence. That was the one who became the Kazekage that their village admired so much.

And that was the brother Kankurou would go all out to save.

He opened his eyes again and stared up at the ceiling once more. A few minutes later he heard glass shatter and sat up, getting to his feet and kneeling to pick up the broken picture frame that had fallen to the floor. Inside was a picture of Gaara, Temari and him; the siblings of the Sand.

_I have a bad feeling about this…_ He thought, gritting his teeth in frustration. "Shit," He muttered angrily. "isn't there anything I can do?!"

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"You're late." Kankurou stated from his place on the steps, his head bowed.

"It might not seem like it but I came back as fast as I could." Temari replied as she stepped towards her brother, her squad staying where they were. "Anyway, you were late sending over a replacement for border patrol!" She gestured to him. "It's you that screwed up the preparations!"

Kankurou smirked and looked up at her. "Hey, I've only just recovered, and I'm already listening to your crap. Don't be talking like that."

"Hm…" Was all she said as he stood.

"Right, then…" He said, facing the squad. Temari smiled and turned to face them as well. "let's go." She completed her brother's sentence.

The squad nodded. "Hai!"

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The first thing Kankurou felt as he saw Gaara was relief, sitting on the ground with Naruto knelt next to him, a friendly hand on his shoulder. Gaara was looking around at his friends and the sand shinobi with surprise and slight confusion. Naruto grinned and squeezed his friend's shoulder and Kankurou thought he might have seen a slight trace of tears in his relieved blue eyes.

"…This…" Gaara trailed off and Naruto's grin widened. "Everyone came running…to save you…!" Gaara looked around once more. "Hey, you put us through a lot…!" Naruto added and Gaara looked up at him silently, the shock still not fading.

"For sure." Kankurou added, nodding and stepping forward. "You're a little brother I always have to worry about, eh?" Gaara's eyes widened slightly at his words.

"Hey, don't go getting all complacent!" Temari scolded with a smirk as she knelt in front of Gaara. "Gaara's still the Kazekage, so don't be so cheeky," Naruto and Kankurou glared down at her as she finished. "you underlings!" She turned to face Gaara. "…Gaara…how are you feeling?" Gaara just stared at her then closed his eyes, trying to quell the shaking his body was doing. He tried to stand but his trembling body wouldn't allow it and he gave an exhausted grunt as the tremors made him stay on the ground. "You shouldn't be in such a hurry to move." Temari said, placing a concerned hand on her youngest brother's shoulder.. "Your body's not back to full health yet."

Kankurou heard sniffles behind him and looked over his shoulder as a sand shinobi spoke. "This is great…I wondered if the Kazekage-Sama really would die…" The female shinobi next to him gave a sound of outrage and slammed her fist into the back of his head. Her shout drowned his "ow" out. "No way Gaara-Sama'd die that easily!!"

Kankurou chuckled as the females ranted about his young brother's good looks and ran to their Kazekage, shoving Naruto aside. "…Yeah, I guess I am still just a Genin…" Naruto grumbled from the ground.

"Don't feel bad." Kankurou laughed, kneeling in front of a surprised Naruto. "Women are always weak in the knees for the elite, cool types."

Naruto muttered and nodded, sitting up. "Well…I remember Shikamaru saying something like that too…mmm…" They watched as Temari kept the females from pouncing on their Kazekage and Kankurou's eyes drifted to Naruto as his brother's words came back to him, from their conversation before Gaara became Kazekage; when they were watching the sun set over their desert home. Gaara had had his back to him and it was during that conversation that Kankurou had seen Gaara smile truly for the first time in many years. _**"He…he knew the same pain as me. And he taught me that, you can change how you live." **_Kankurou stared at the ground in silence for a moment then spoke. "Thank you Naruto…" Naruto looked over in surprise then gave a small shake of his head, looking almost sad. "You should be saying that to the old lady, not me. She saved Gaara with her amazing medical ninjutsu… "

He turned to look where Chiyo was resting in Sakura's arms. Sakura stared down at her sadly.

_Chiyo…used that jutsu…_Kankurou thought as Naruto continued. "She's passed out from tiredness now, but…she'll be fine when she gets back to the…" "No…" Kankurou cut him off and Naruto started in surprise. Temari looked back at them sadly. "What do you mean "no"…?" Naruto questioned.

Kankurou sighed sadly. "That was no medical ninjutsu, it was a Tensei Ninjutsu…Chiyo is dead."

Naruto's eyes widened. "What are you saying?"

"A ninjutsu that restores life…" Kankurou explained. "In exchange for the user's own…"

The shinobi of Konoha all stared in shocked silence as the puppeteer continued. "At one time, in the Sand's puppet squad…people tried to research and develop a jutsu to give life to puppets…Chiyo led that. She worked out the theory behind the jutsu, but…in the process…saying that the risk of the jutsu was too high, before experimentation, it was designated a forbidden jutsu, and sealed away."

Naruto stared at Chiyo in silence, remembering her last words to him. _**"I am glad someone like you appeared in the world of shinobi we old people created…in the past…everything I did was mistaken…but…at the very end, it seems I am able to do the right thing. Sand and…Konoha…their futures are different from our past…what Kakashi said, your mysterious power…that power may change the future…become a hokage unlike any before…"**_

Chiyo's brother stared down at her sadly. " "I'm just playing dead." I keep expecting her to laugh out loud and say that…hmm…such a peaceful expression she has now…" Sakura's eyes narrowed in sadness and she squeezed her friend's body slightly. "…yes…" She agreed softly as tears spilled from her eyes.

Gaara looked over at Chiyo, his surprise now replaced with sadness and understanding at what the older woman had done for him. Naruto continued to stare at Chiyo in sad silence but looked up at Temari as she spoke. "Naruto…you really are a mysterious person." She said, not looking from Chiyo's body. "You have the power to change people…Chiyo-Sama was always saying how she didn't care about the future of the village…she wasn't the kind of person who would do this for Gaara…"

Kakashi stepped forward. "…Chiyo-Sama entrusted the future to you and Gaara…a truly fitting last moment for a shinobi."

"…Yeah…" Naruto agreed. "The same as Sandaime…"

Kakashi nodded. "That's right…"

"Yeah…" Naruto repeated, looking over his shoulder at his sensei. "I understand the old lady's feelings for sure now!"

Gaara stared at the ground and closed his eyes in sadness then tried to stand. "Gaara-Sama!" A shinobi exclaimed. Gaara shook his head. "It's ok…" he said as he struggled to stand. Naruto was at his side in an instant, grabbing his friend under the arm and helping him to his feet. Gaara looked at him gratefully for a moment then they looked to Chiyo. "…Everyone," Gaara commanded his shinobi. "say a prayer for Chiyo." Everyone was silent as they prayed and the wind blew through the grass as if joining their mourning.

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"See ya." Kankurou said as he stood with his siblings in front of the Konoha shinobi. Naruto nodded. "Y…Yeah!" Kankurou watched as Naruto and his younger brother locked eyes. "I guess," Naruto spoke. "This is where you normally shake hands and part ways but…I'm not good at that sort of thing! So…" He stopped and started in surprise when Gaara held out his hand. Everyone smiled. The two friends continued to stare at each other then Naruto made a sound of surprise and look down as sand grabbed his hand and lifted it. Naruto smiled softly as his hand met Gaara's. Kankurou smiled as Gaara wore a smile that matched Naruto's. They released hands and Naruto placed his on Gaara's shoulder. "See ya Gaara." Gaara nodded.

The siblings waved as their friends turned to leave. "Oh yeah!" Naruto exclaimed, turning to face the siblings again. "Congratulations on making Kazekage Gaara!" He grinned. "Don't worry, I'll catch up soon!" Gaara's smile widened and he nodded again.

Kankurou placed a hand on Gaara's shoulder as their friends faded into the distance. "Come on." The three siblings turned and entered the village. "Hey," he addressed his younger brother and Gaara looked at him. "Promise me something?" Gaara tilted his head in a sign to continue. Kankurou draped an arm over the young one's shoulders and Gaara's eyes widened. "Promise me you won't go and worry us like that again Otouto-Chan" He grinned as Gaara's eyes widened further. Gaara finally smiled and nodded. "Hai Nii-Chan, promise." Temari smiled and came up behind them, draping an arm over both their shoulders. "Isn't this cute? My two knuckleheaded little brothers are having a moment!"

"Now who's being cheeky?!" Kankurou laughed.

"I have the right to be cheeky every once in a while." She replied as they walked down the street. Both boys smiled but said nothing. The only thing Kankurou thought of was how relieved he was to have his little brother back and to see him smiling again.

Translations:

Otouto-chan/Otouto-san: Little or younger brother

Onee-chan/Onee-san: Sister

Nii-chan/Nii-san: Older brother

and -san for respect and -chan for affection. You'd be surprised how many people don't know these so i'm putting them up for all ya'll who don't know.:)

A/N: So whatcha think? It's my first Naruto fic so I hope I didn't do to bad. I added those scenes from the manga because it shows the friendship between Naruto and Gaara and also it shows how much Gaara is really loved and needed. And because I wanted to. Anyway, this fic came to me when I was watching Shippuden episode 17 when you see Kankurou lying on his bed and I thought "hey maybe he's thinking of memories and stuff" so I wrote it all down. I hope it's not too bad, I love Gaara and the sand siblings so I wanted to write a fic about the bonds they do share. R&R please. Oh and if I got anything wrong please tell me.


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